Daschle...Yeah, Sorry About That Tax Thing UPDATE: Obama Still Supports His Guy

Thomas A. Daschle, fighting to defend his nomination to be secretary of health and human services, released a letter early today apologizing to the top lawmakers on the Senate Finance Committee for mistakes on his personal income tax returns that resulted in $146,000 in back payments.

"I am deeply embarrassed and disappointed by the errors that required me to amend my tax returns," he wrote to Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa). "I apologize for the errors and profoundly regret that you have had to devote time to them."

Thankfully Dick Durbin appears as a character witness for the defense.

"If all you knew about Tom Daschle was that he used to be a senator and he made a mistake and had to pay over $100,000 in back taxes, you would have a right to be skeptical, even cynical," said Sen. Richard J. Durbin (Ill.). "But if you know Tom Daschle, you know better."

Well, that about clears it up, doesn't it?

It's funny but I don't remember this ever being an issue during 8 years of the Bush administration. Yet not even 2 weeks in to the Age of Obama we already have two similar cases.

It seems to me Daschle's issues, unlike Geithner's, can be considered 'mistakes' but that's not the issue. At some point people have to be held accountable and told, 'you've got to go'. Strangely Mr. Hope Change and Ethics isn't doing that. It's almost as if cronyism and personal relationships trump integrity. I remember a time when people thought that was bad. Something seems to have changed. What ever could that something be?

Meanwhile Republicans better jump on this. I have a friend who is a loyal liberal and even she's pretty pissed about Daschle and Geithner. Now I know data isn't the plural of anecdote but this is the kind of thing people get. They know they would never get these breaks and it pisses them off. If Republicans let their sense of senatorial courtesy get in the way of doing what is not only right but popular, we are well and truly screwed. So far they are laying low.